Welif is a small port town on the southwestern edge of the Mirithian landmass. The port is situated just across the Lizard Sea from Lizard Island, and is about an hour's walk southwest of the city of Mirith.
The community sees heavy seafaring activity, as evidenced by its largest and most important building: the Dead Hayate (formerly known as the "Dead Lizard"), a notorious gathering site for merchants, pirates, and sailors alike.
Geography[]
Welif lies nested against a small chain of cliffs, which provides a natural barrier around much of the town. The docks of the port are built on a small promontory just to the north of town, at the point where the strait separating the mainland from Lizard Island is at its most narrow. For that reason, many lizarding expeditions choose this spot as the starting point for their journey.
At the center of town is a large, wide-open square which serves as the gathering point for all events in town. From here, the main thoroughfare, Welif Road, leads northeast, back to Mirith. To the southwest, is the much smaller and lonelier, Southern Trail, which meanders its way to the distant Port Gast. Situated atop the windswept cliffs, there is one rustic building, the tiny home of an eccentric woman, and a longtime fixture of the town, known colloquially and respectfully as the "Old Hag".
Just to the west and south of town is a broad swath of coastal forest which is quite peaceful, save for the occasional dog or sheep. But to the southeast, beyond the cliffs of Welif, the forests are home to a large number of Forest Trolls, Gapers, Harpies, Brown Bears, and all other manner of deadly creatures.
History[]
The modern history of Welif is closely associated with the Ice Wars of the 430s, during which time the town was brought under the subjugation of the surging Lizard Army. The invasion began when the lizards, long bound to their island fort, began to construct rafts on an industrial scale. Their invasion was swift and merciless. For almost a year, the forces of the Lizard Men held the town in their captivity, using it as base of operations from which they would execute their siege of Mirith. It was also during this time that the occupying forces defaced the Dead Lizard, scrawling "The Dead Hayate" on the sign instead.
The lizards bolstered their control by constructing walls, completing the natural barrier provided by the area's cliffs. The Liberation of Welif in 434 was a momentous event in the town's history, and is considered a major turning point in the war.